Business News Tudor Is Launching In Japan

If I were to tell you that Tudor isn't currently selling watches in Japan, you would probably think I'm crazy. But, that is indeed the case. Well, at least for a few more hours, that is. Tomorrow, October 31, 2018, Tudor is officially entering the Japanese market, opening up a mix of permanent retail locations and pop-up shops in Tokyo and Osaka, with distribution "quickly expanding" to Nagoya and Sapporo too. Retail partners include big names like Isetan, Daimaru, Takashimaya, Hankyu Umeda, Matsuzakaya, and Mitsukoshi. It's hard to imagine Tudor not finding an excited and passionate fanbase in Japan as it has in the United States and the U.K. since re-entering those markets in the last few years.

Timing for this move is great right now too, for a number of reasons. From a partnerships standpoint, Tudor sponsors the Rugby World Cup, which will be held in Japan in 2019, giving them some nice visibility in the new market. More generally though, Japan is one of the strongest watch markets in the world these days, up more than 10% through the first nine months of 2018.

It's rare that Tudor or Rolex executives comment on business decisions like this, but Eric Pirson, Director of Montres Tudor S.A. said in a statement to the press, "The partners that Tudor selected for this launch are among the most high-profile and prestigious watch retailers in the country. They are offering Tudor a strong presence in their most prominent location." He continued, "With this presence in the Japanese market, alongside our key openings in the U.S. (2013), the U.K. (2014) and the Korean domestic market earlier this year, Tudor is now truly a global brand that is represented in close to 100 countries worldwide."